Hearing the Call across Traditions

An inspiring collection of readings that will raise deep questions about service and its roots in faith. "There is a deep yearning among the vast majority of people of all religious and philosophical traditions to make real their most enduring shared principlesto care for creation, to serve others with compassion, and to protect and enhance the gift of life. We believe that reflecting on these principles strengthens our capacity to embody them." from the Introduction Explore the connections between faith, service, and social justice through the prose, verse, and sacred texts of the world's great faith traditionsChristianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism and more. Drawing from diverse literary genres, religious and philosophical perspectives and historical periods, these short and provocative readings cut to the heart of the many obstacles and joys that accompany lives devoted to faith and service: Why do I serve? Whom do I serve? How do I serve? This rich collection will create a platform for discussing and understanding the faith-based service of others as well as inspire you to reflect on the meaning behind your own commitment to improving the world. Contributors: Umar Faruq Abd-Allah Jane Addams Sholom Aleichem Bidpai Cesar Chavez Chuang-Tzu Dorothy Day Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni Mahatma Gandhi Linda Gregg Hafiz Hamzayusuf Thich Nhat Hanh Mark Helprin Abraham Joshua Heschel Gerard Manley Hopkins Kabir Martin Luther King Jr. The Dalai Lama Anne Lamott Lao-Tzu Abraham Lincoln Maimonides Valerie Martin Gabriela Mistral Mikhail Naimy Friedrich Nietzsche Tim O'Brien Flannery OConnor Mary Oliver George Orwell John Oskison Eboo Patel Peggy Payne I. L. Peretz Rumi Ryokan Tayeb Salih Harold M. Schulweis Leslie Marmon Silko Anna Swir Rabindranath Tagore William Trevor Shih Te Swami Vivekananda Walt Whitman